As stated in the overall mission statement of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine (SDM), the research mission of the SDM is to engage in research and scholarly activities that will advance knowledge and extend the frontiers of oral health. The SDM has made great strides in recent years in increasing its research portfolio. The long-range research goals of the SDM are to continue to develop national research prominence, and to enter the "top 10" of NIDCR-funded dental schools. In order to do so, the SDM must improve several aspects of its research infrastructure. Therefore, the specific aims of this planning grant proposal are: (1) To develop a plan in order to determine the SDM target research area(s) with the most potential to become outstanding programs. (2) To develop a plan to assess the critical infrastructure needs of the SDM in order to achieve an outstanding research program in the target area(s) and to enhance overall research quality and productivity. This plan will include: (a) the organization of an Institutional Planning Committee; (b) the appointment of an External Advisory Committee; (c) the identification of the critical infrastructure needs with input from the committees and the SDM faculty; and (3) to develop an infrastructure improvement plan (IIP) to address the critical needs identified in Specific Aims (1) and (2) above. As the IIP is developed, potential collaborations with other components of the University of Pittsburgh will be also examined. [unreadable] [unreadable]